Structure for coupling a bar-like member

ABSTRACT

A structure for coupling a bar-like member to be erected on a floor or wall, with a coupling member having a connecting portion, and a holding member provided with a bearing hole to be engaged with the connecting portion, thereby allowing to detachably fix the coupling member on the floor or wall. The connecting portion of the coupling member is provided with threads or other fixing means. The holding member includes a base body to be fixed on the panel, a cylindrical main body erected perpendicularly from the base body, and a bearing hole formed in the main body and provided with threads or other fixing means to engage with the screw or other fixing means, thereby to fix the connecting portion therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

a. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a structure for coupling a member having aconnecting portion with a holding member to be fixed on a surface ofwall, floor, glass plate and etc., wherein any member having a commonconnecting portion may be detachably coupled with a holding member whichmay be set in a desired place.

b. Descriptiion of the Prior Art

There is known various coupling structure for fixing a member having aconnecting portion in a hole formed in a wall surface. For example, astructure wherein a connecting portion of a member is fixed by amagnetic force to a magnet mounted within a holding member which isintegrally formed within a wall panel, or a structure wherein a memberhaving a hook portion is retrogressively hooked on a wall panel isknown.

In these conventional structures, the fixing of a member having aconnecting portion is allowed only to a hole which is preliminarilyformed in a wall panel, and it is very difficult for a user to install acoupling structure for a bar-like member in a desired portion of a panelsuch as a wall panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention has been accomplished under the circumstances asmentioned above and after a profound research. The main object of thisinvention is to provide a structure for coupling a bar-like member,which can be allowed to be set any desirable portion a panel such as awall panel, and has a high reliability.

Above object has been achieved according to this invention by providinga structure wherein a member having a connecting portion is coupled to aholding member (or receiving member) which can be fixed to any desiredportion of a panel such as a wall or floor panel. The panel as definedin this invention includes not only a panel, but also other panel-likesurfaces such as wall or floor which is not in a form of a panel. Inthis structure, the connecting portion of the member is provided with ascrew or a fixing means, and the holding member is so constructed tohave a bearing hole which is also provided with a screw or a fixingmeans, each corresponding with the screw or the fixing means of theconnecting portion and a base body to be fixed on a panel for disposingthe bearing hole at a desired position of the panel. The connectingportion of the member is detachably coupled to the bearing hole of theholding member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment wherein a holdingmember of a coupling structure of this invention is installed on afloor;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an assembled display structure;

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of this invention, wherein a holding memberof the coupling structure is installed on a wall, and the holding memberis provided with a stopper surface;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of another embodiment of this invention,wherein a stopper is movably attached to the holding member;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a covering member which mounted overthe holding member shown in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show embodiments wherein the holding member is fixed to aglass panel;

FIG. 8 is a plain view of the coupling structure shown in FIG. 4 or FIG.5, which is partially cut out;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a disintegrated aspect of a holdingmember according to a preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a holding member being assembled; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of an assembled holding member according toanother embodiment of this invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

This invention will be further explained with reference to a preferredembodiment of this invention.

A coupling structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is suited for setting on afloor (although it may be set on a wall), which is indicated as "B" as afixing surface in FIG. 1.

In this embodiment, a holding member 1 comprises an annular base body 2,a cylindrical main body 3 erected from the base body 2, and a bearinghole 4 formed in the main body 3.

This bearing hole 4 is provided with a screw or a fixing means 5 forallowing a connecting portion 20 to be fixed in the bearing hole 4. Inthe embodiment shown in this drawing, one example of fixing means isindicated, wherein the lower portion of the bearing hole 4 is graduallyand concentrically enlarged to form an enlarged opening 6.

The connecting portion 20 has in its lower end an engaging means 23 tobe engaged with the enlarged opening 6. This engaging means 23 comprisesan annular groove 25 formed in the inserting portion of the axis 24 ofthe connecting portion 20, and a snap ring 26 made of an open circularspring which is free to contract or expand and fitted in the annulargroove 25.

Accordingly, when the connecting portion 20 is inserted in the bearinghole 4, the snap ring is contracted to have the same or smaller diameteras or than that of the outer circumference of the connecting portion 20,and when the lower end of the connecting portion 20 is reached to theenlarged opening 6, the snap ring 26 is enlarged to have a largerdiameter than that of the outer circumference of the connecting portion20 so as to fix the connecting portion 20 in the bearing hole 4.

The fixing means 23 may take any other construction as long as it iscapable of performing a one-touch coupling or removal of the connectingportion 20, such for example as that of plug of microphone or ear-phone.Otherwise, the fixing means 23 may be a screw to be engaged with that ofthe bearing hole 4.

The holding member 1 is fastened on a panel "B" (for example, afoundation).

Thus, a plurality of holes 7 are provided in the base body 2 of theholding member 1 at an interval of equidistance along the circumferenceof the base body 2.

Generally a bolt is inserted in the hole 7 to fasten the holding member1 to the panel "B". However, when the surface of the panel "B" is ruggedas shown in FIG. 1, the base body 2 of the holding member 1 should besuitably fastened to the panel "B" with bolts so as to keep the horizonof the base body 2.

In the case of an embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the top of the holdingmember 1 (the opening surface of the bearing hole 4 is made flush withthe floor surface "F" by coating the surfcae of the panel "B" with afloor-forming material such as mortar.

In this coating step, the floor-forming material may intrude from theenlarged opening 6 into the bearing hole 4 if the enlarged opening 6 isnot closed.

Accordingly, it is preferred in order to prevent such an intrusion ofthe floor-forming material to cover the enlarged opening 6 with a plate14.

The bearing hole 4 formed in the holding member 3 has a circularcross-section and an enlarged concentrical hole portion in its upperportion, thereby forming a tapered portion 8 at its boundary with theneighboring hole.

In conformity with such a construction of the holding member 3, anenlarged cylindrical portion 27 is formed at the proximal end portion(or upper portion) of the connecting portion 20 so as to be fitted inthe enlarged concentrical hole portion as well as the tapered portion 8of the holding member 3.

Accordingly, when the connecting portion 20 is inserted into the bearinghole 4, the enlarged cylindrical portion 27 could be fitted into theenlarged concentrical hole portion without leaving any dead space,thereb realizing a strong and secure fixing of any member which isprovided with the connecting portion 20.

In order to guide the insertion of the connecting portion 20 to thebearing hole 4, a concentrically enlarged brim 28 may be provided on thetop of the enlarged cylindrical portion 27. The inner wall of theenlarged concentrical hole may be provided wth threads for allowing theupper opening of the bearing hole 4 to be detachably sealed by anengagement with a cap 18.

When the cap 18 is fitted in the opening of the bearing hole 4 in thismanner, water or dust on the floor "F" (when, as in this embodiment, theholding member is disposed in the floor "F") may be prevented fromentering into the bearing hole 4.

When the holding member 1 is installed on the floor "F" as in thisembodiment, any suitable coupling member having a connecting portion 20such as a leg member 30 of a hanger frame for goods such as clothes maybe fixed to the holding member 1 as shown in FIG. 2.

When the leg member 30 is provided with a connecting portion 20 on itslower end portion, the leg member 30 may be installed any desiredlocation of a floor by distributing a plurality of holding members atany desired intervals on the floor. By laying a horizontal bar 31between a pair of legs 30, a hanger frame can be easily assembled.

Various kinds of structure can be assembled in this manner for variouspurposes. The connecting portion 20 may be constructed in separate tothe coupling member (main body) so as to be detachable from the couplingmember. In this case, a hole 29a provided with threads formed in the endportion of the connecting portion that is opposite to the lower endprovided with a fixing means 23, while a threaded projection 29b to beengaged with the hole 29a is formed at the lower end of the couplingmember.

If the projection 29b of various coupling member is formed to have thesame diameter as that of the inner diameter of the hole 29a of theconnecting portion 20, the coupling member can be fitted in the bearinghole 4 of various inner diameter by only exchanging the connectingportion 20 provided with the hole 29a with another one of a differentouter diameter which conforms to the bearing hole 4.

Even if the outer diameter of the connecting portion is the same as thatof the inner diameter of the bearing hole 4, the structure of the fixingmeans 23 may not be necessarily the same as that of the bearing hole 4.

In such a case, a connecting portion having a shape corresponding tothat of the bearing hole 4 should be selected.

Another embodiment of the coupling structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 ismainly employed to set it on a wall panel (though it may be set on afloor).

The holding member 1 comprises in this embodiment an annular base body2, a main body 3 erected perpendicularly from the base body 2, a stoppersurface 9 formed at the intermediate portion of the main body 3, and abearing hole 4 formed in the main body.

The fixing structures of the bearing hole 4 and the connecting portion20 are the same as in the previous embodiment, so that the explainationthereof is omitted and instead the same part as that of the previousembodiment is indicated by the same reference numeral as employed in theprevious embodiment.

In this embodiment, the opening of the holding member 3 is fitted in anopening "h" provided in various portions of the wall panel "P", and theouter surface of the wall panel "P" is disposed in flush with theopening of the main body 3 (refer to FIG. 8).

This embodiment is featured in providing a locating means to the mainbody 3 for suitably positioning the wall panel "P". Thus, the stoppersurface 9 is provided at an intermediate portion of the main body 3 ofthe holding member 1, leaving a space corresponding to the thickness ofthe wall panel "P" between the open end of the main body 3 and thestopper surface 9.

Accordingly, the stopper surface 9 is contacted with the back surface ofthe wall panel "P", when it is fixed in place.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the stopper surface 9 is extendedperpendicularly from a middle portion of the wall of the main body 3thereby to form an annular step as well as to constitute a front surfaceof a cylindrical base body 10 of a larger diameter which is integrallyformed with the base body 2. The extending angle of the stopper surfacemay not be in perpendicular to the bearing hole 4, but may be inclinedat any angle so as to set the wall panel in an inclined manner asdesired.

Since the stopper surface 9 is integrally fixed to the holding member 1,the thickness of the wall panel "P" may be required to be adjusted whenthe thickness of the wall panel differs from the space which ispreliminarily set by the stopper surface 9. However, if the stoppersurface 9 is provided free to move along the main body 3, the adjustmentof the thickness of wall panel "P" is no more required.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment wherein the main body 3 of the holdingmember 1 is provided on its outer wall with threads, and an adjustmentring 11 is engaged therewith, so that it is possible to adjust theposition of a stopper surface 9 by shifting the position of the ring 11.In this case, when a scale 12 is described on the main body 3 as shownin FIG. 4, an accurate adjustment of the stopper surface 9 can becarried out. Thus, by moving the adjustment ring 11 back and forth to adesired line of the scale 12, a wall panel of a different thickness orof a curved surface can be accurately positioned. The structure of theconnecting portion 20 is the same in this embodiment as the previousembodiment, so that the explanation thereof is omitted and instead thesame part as that of the previous embodiment is indicated by the samereference numeral as employed in the previous embodiment.

A display hook or an arm for supporting a display ledge may be appliedas a coupling member having a connecting portion 20. By suitablyselecting the bearing hole 4 of the main body 3 inserted in one of theholes "h" distributed in the wall panel, the hook or arm 32 as mentionedabove can be fixed on the wall panel (FIG. 8).

This holding member 1 may not necessarily be employed in combinationwith the wall panel "P". For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in place ofthe adjustment ring 11, a covering body 13 having threads which can beengaged with the threads of the main body 3 of the holding member may beattached to the holding member 1 merely fixed on a wall to cover thewhole external surface of the holding member 1 to protect the holdingmember 1 and to improve the external appearance.

The holding member 1 can be fixed on a panel and the like by any knownmethods, such for example as fastening with bolts, an adhesive and etc.When the holding member 1 is desired to be fixed on a glass panel, amethod as shown in FIG. 6 may be adapted.

In FIG. 6, the base body 2 of holding member 1 is shown to comprise ashaft 14, and a pair of brim-like holders 15, 16 disposed separatedly onthe shaft 14. At least one of the holders 15 and 16 (in this embodimentleft side holder 16) is detachably engaged to the shaft 14.

When a glass plae, a mirror plate and the like which is not suited forfastening the holder member with bolts are employed as a panel "B'" tobe attached with a holding member, a circular hole "h'" is perforated inthe plate "B'".

After removing the holder 16 from the holding member 1, the shaft 14 isinserted into the hole "h'", and then the holder 16 is attached to theshaft 14.

It is preferable to interpose a packing "P" made of rubber and the likebetween the plate "B'" and each of the holder 15 and 16 in order toprevent the glass or mirror plate from being damaged at the time offastening the holder 16 or when a load is given to the holding memberthrough the connecting portion 20.

The coupling structure of the holding member may be modified to thatshown in FIG. 7, wherein the other holder 15 is attached free to moveback and forth.

It is also possible to employ a sucking base body 2, and to hermeticallyattach the sucking base body 2 onto the plate "B'", without perforatingthe circular hole "h'" in the plate "B'".

A coupling structure shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 comprises a base body 120,and a main body 100 to be attached with a connecting member 200.

To be more specific, the base body 120 is formed of an annular plate andhas at its center a threaded aperture 121 and a plurality of fixingholes 122 provided along the circumference of is central hole.

The main body 100 has in its axis an axial hole 140 passingtherethrough, and a shaft portion 130 at its fixing side. The outersurface of the shaft portion 130 has formed thereon threads 132 whichcan be engaged with the threads 121 formed in the base body 120.

The main body 100 also includes at its proximal end neighboring to theshaft portion 130 an enlarged sleeve-like fixing portion 150.

This axial hole 140 also includes an enlarged opening 160 having thesame shape as that shown in FIG. 1 for allowing an engagement with theconnecting member 200.

The connecting member 200 is provided with a coupling means 230 which isfitted in the enlarged opening 160.

The construction of the connecting member 200 is further explainedbelow. The connecting member 200 in the same manner as in FIG. 1comprises an axis 240, a concentrically enlarged brim 270 and a hole 291formed in the axial center of the axis 240.

The hole 291 is provided with a fixing means such as threads as shown inFIG. 10 and is inserted by a projection 300 having a suitable fixingmeans such as a threads.

The coupling means 230 is also constructed in the same manner as in thatshown in FIG. 1, and comprises an annular groove 250 and a snap ring260. The coupling means 230 is fixed in the axial hole 140 in the samemanner as explained with reference to FIG. 1.

The base body 120 can be fixed on a fixing surface "A" with a screw.This fixing surface "A" may be a wall panel as explained in thisembodiment, a mirror panel and the like, a floor panel or a glass panel.

The fixing surface "A" in this embodiment is a frame having a squarecross section and has an opening "h" corresponding to a threadedaperture 121 of the base body 120, and allowing to pass therethrough theshaft portion 130 of the main body 100.

A pair of another frames "B" are attached to the fixing surface "A",thereby forming a space "C" partially encircled by the fixing surface"A" and the frames B, into which the base body 120 is fitted (FIG. 10).

The size of the space "C" is preliminarily set to comform with thethickness of the base body 120.

Thus, the base body 120 is first fitted into the space "C", and thenfixed in place on the surface "A" with a male screw "V", thereby keepingthe surface of the base body 120 in flush with the surfaces of theframes "B".

On the surfaces of the frames B and the base body 120 is disposed afinishing panel such as wall panel "W" by a suitable means.

This wall panel "W" is perforated with an through opening "wh" forallowing the insertion of the shaft portion 130 of the main body 100.

After the attachment of the wall panel "W" is finished, the shaftportion 130 of the main body 100 is inserted into the threaded aperture121 through the engagement of its threads 132 with the threaded aperture121, until a flange portion 150 which is provided at the proximal end ofthe main body 100 is contacted to the surface of the wall panel "W".

The depth of insertion of the main body 100 (a distance between theflange portion 150 and the base body 120) can be adjusted in conformityto the thickness of the wall panel "W".

Since the main body 100 is adjustably inserted into the opening "h" ofthe fixing surface "A" so as to restrict projection outward of the mainbody 100 only to a height corresponding to the thick of the wall panel"W", the wall panel "W" can be intimately contacted with the fixingsurface "A" through the base body 120 without leaving a dead space.

Accordingly, it is possible to install the wall panel "W" to maximizethe effective space of a room, and to minimize the distortion orexhaustion of the wall panel "W". A plurality of the main body 100 ofthe holding member can be becomingly distributed in the wall panel "W"as desired.

The axis 240 of the connecting member 200 can be inserted into the axialhole 140 installed in a manner as mentioned above. In this case, whenthe axis 240 is inserted into the hole 140 to an extent that the fixingportion 280 provided at the lower end of the axis 240 reaches to theenlarged portion 140' of the main body 100, the connecting member 200can be sucurely fixed in the main body 100 through an interactionbetween the enlarged opening and the coupling means 230 as explained ina previous embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

Into the hole 291 of the connecting member 200 is inserted parts 290 tobe fixed therein.

The parts may be hanging rod for a display, or an arm for supporting adisplay ledge, and is provided at the lower end with threads 292 to beengaged with the hole 291, thereby to securely fix the parts.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 11 a base body 120 is extended over apair of the frames B disposed separatedly from each other and is fixedthereon with a male screw "V", and a wall panel "W" is attached on theframes B.

In this embodiment, a through hole "wh" perforated in the wall panel "W"comprises an enlarged hole portion "wh1" to be fitted therein with thebase body 120, and a small hole "wh2" to be inserted therethrough with ashaft portion 130 of the main body 100.

Accordingly, the wall panel "W" covers the entire front surface of thebase body 120 except the threaded aperture 121.

After the wall panel "W" is attached, the screw portion 132 of the shaft130 is inserted through the small hole "wh2" into the threaded aperture121 of the base body 120 to be engaged each other.

The main body 100 in this embodiment differs from the previousembodiment only in that the shaft 130 is dispensed with the flangeportion 150 in this embodiment. Other construction of the shaft 130 isthe same as that of the previous embodiment so that explanation thereofis omitted by putting the same reference numerals to the same portionsas those of the previous embodiment.

The external end of the shaft 130 of the main body 100 is adjusted tobecome in flush with the front surface of the wall panel by adjustingthe insertion degree of the shaft 130 into the threaded aperture 121.

After this adjustment is performed, the connecting member 200 isinserted into the hole 140 of the main body 100, and then parts 290 isinserted into the hole 291 of the connecting member 200.

In this invention, a single or a plurality of holding members may beemployed for utilizing them as a display assembly or a hanger in a shopor as daily necessities at home. It is also possible to utilize theholding member as a supporting pole for flags or marks and the like.

Materials to be utilized for the holding member may be a metal, asynthetic resin and the like as long as it has a sufficient strength tosustain a coupling member.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coupling structure comprising:a holding memberhaving a base body adapted to be fastened to a fixing surface, acylindrical, externally threaded main body extending perpendicularlyfrom said base body, a bearing hole extending into said main body fromthe end remote from said base body with an enlarged opening formed atthe lower end of the bearing hole for fixing a connecting portioninserted into said bearing hole; an internally threaded adjustable ringrotatable about said main body for providing an adjustable stop surface;and a coupling member having a connecting portion extending into saidbearing hole, engaging means having an annular groove formed in theinserting portion thereof, and a contractible snap ring placed in saidannular groove and made of an opened circular spring, so that when theconnecting portion is inserted into the bearing hole, the snap ring iscontracted to have the same or smaller diameter as that of the outercircumference of the connecting portion, and when the lower end of theconnection portion reaches the enlarged opening, the snap ring isenlarged to have a larger diameter than that of the outer circumferenceof the connecting portion so as to be fixed in the enlarged opening sothat said members are removably coupled together.
 2. A structureaccording to claim 1, wherein the base body of the holding member has ashape of an annular plate, and is provided with holes along a peripherythereof for inserting fastening means to fix the base body on the fixingsurface.
 3. A structure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portionof the bearing hole near the open end is provided with threads, and theopen end is capable of being sealed with a disc-like cap having on itscircumference threads corresponding to the first mentioned threads.
 4. Astructure according to claim 1, wherein a covering body for covering theholding member is detachably engaged with threads provided on theexternal wall of the main body.
 5. A structure according to claim 1,wherein the bearing hole comprises near the opening thereof aconcentrical hole of an enlarged inner diameter having a tapered innerwall, and the connecting portion comprises an enlarged portion whichcoforms to the hole of the enlarged inner diameter formed in the bearinghole.